question for cigar joe (and others, if you want)

[noodles_leone]

I'll shoot a western this summer with a few friends. It's gonna be called "Colt Navy 1851", and will be the story of... a colt navy. I think it is the best way to show as many "classic" scenes of a western as i can think about, and do hommages to all the kinds of westerns: spaghetti, classics, realistic, "crépusculaire" (like peckinpah), and modern.
So, I need some informations about that gun, which is almost as famous as the peacemaker, even if nobody knows it: it is one of the most used gun in westerns.
So, Cigar Joe, because your an expert in weapons, what can you say about that gun?

I need especially:

1) i've read that there is a few differents model of that gun... which model is this Denix replica (that i have): 1040/L (you can find a picture here: http://www.cowboydream.fr/decoration/frame_decorations.htm )?

2) if you know, which famous people had that gun? (i've read that it was the favorite weapon of Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill H.)

3) which exact number of navys were produced in London between 1851 and 1874? (i now it is about 40 000)

4) some colts navy were .36, others .44. Which ones? What about the 1140/L?

5) what was the price of a colt navy? and what could be the price of this one (pretty worked)?

6) every nice information about that gun

Other question: (pretty easy for you, i think): how many bullets can you put in a Winchester 66?

Thanks a lot!

[cigar joe]

I'm far from an expert, but I have shot Colt & Remington cap and ball revolvers. I'll try and answer your questions.

1. It looks like a 1851 .44 or .36 caliber Colt Navy with an octogon barrel close to this Cabelas catalog replica:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jhtml?id=0003241&navAction=push&navCount=1&indexId=cat20817&parentId=cat20817&parentType=index&rid=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fpod-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712  

But it has a gold engraved cylinder like this 1851 Colt Navy
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jhtml?id=0006184&navAction=push&navCount=1&indexId=cat20817&parentId=cat20817&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20712&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fpod-link.jhtml.4_A&_DAV=http%3A%2F%2Fa1460.g.akamai.net%2Ff%2F1460%2F1339%2F6h%2Fwww.cabelas.com%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcontent%2FPod%2F00%2F61%2F84%2Fp006184ii01.jpg

Other 1851 Colt models are the Confederate 1851 Colt Navy with either a round or octagon barrel and an all brass frame, a Colt 1851 Civilian model with a 7 1/2" barrel, a US Marshall's version with a 4 3/4" barrel.


Wild Bill Hickok used a .36 caliber Colt Navy (I think Blondie also uses one in GBU the bullets look like .36 caliber)

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jhtml?id=0006189&navAction=push&navCount=1&indexId=cat20817&parentId=cat20817&parentType=index&rid=&cmCat=MainCatcat20712&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fpod-link.jhtml.4_A&_DAV=http%3A%2F%2Fa1460.g.akamai.net%2Ff%2F1460%2F1339%2F6h%2Fwww.cabelas.com%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcontent%2FPod%2F00%2F61%2F89%2Fp006189ii01.jpg  


2. Yes it was a favorite of Wild Bill, will have to check on any others.

3. The book I have gives the figure of between 38-40,000 Colt Navy revolvers produced in London.

4. Can't tell from the picture of the 1140L but you could measure the bore it should be .9144cm for a .36 caliber and 1.1176cm for the .44

5. I think they were around $20.00 dollars the fancy engraved model maybe $25.00, I'll see what I can find.

6. Check these out

 http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/CC/lnc1.html

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_150_25/ai_67886001

7.  14, .44 Long Colt rounds in a Winchester 66 if I remember right.

[noodles_leone]

thank you very much. Very interesting.